Rat-shield



A. a. GIRARD. RAT SHIELD. APPLICATION FILED AUG-30. I920.

1 63,406, Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

orFICE.

RAT-SHIELD.

eer-race.

Application filed August 30, 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Anonrn G. Grnann, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of San Francisco, county of San Francisco, State-ofCalifornia, have invented a new and useful RatShield, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to rat shields for ship hawsers and has for itsprimary ob ect to provide a cheap and practlcal device which may beconveniently applied to the hawser to prevent rats from boarding theship by way of the hawsers when the ship is docked at wharves and thelike.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated the preferred embodimentof the invention. In said drawing Figured is a perspective view showingthe application of the device, Fig. 2 is a side elevation, F g. 3 is asection on the line 83 Fig. 2 and F 1g. 4: is a cross section of amodified form of block.

Referring to the drawing in detail, I prefer to provide a thin metaldisk (1) of suificient diameter to prevent a rat from crawling over thesame when perched on the hawser (2) which passes through the centerthereof.

As a means for receiving the hawser and attaching the device thereto, Ipropose to make a radial slot (3) in the disk which is adapted toreceive a square block having a central hole (5) through whlch thehawser is passed. This block is equipped with a slot in its two oppositevertical sides which may act as guides in inserting the block in theslot (3) and also prevent the block from being pulled axlally away fromthe disk by the hawser. To also further brace or fix the block in theslot (3) part of the metal displaced by the production of the slot isused and bent outwardly parallel to the axis of the device as at (6) andthen downwardly as at (7) with the edge thereof serrated and adapted tobe embedded in the hawser and thus prevent the device from creeping orsliding along the hawser. The length of the part (6) of thisanti-creeping means is substantially the same as that of the thicknessof that part of the block which projects through that side of the disk.The position of the slots in the vertical sides of the block of courseaccount for this condition.

When the block is inserted in the radial Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

Serial No. 408,748.

slotit may be confined therein by the hinged sect on (8) of the disk,which includes a semi-circular piece of sheet metal preferably of thesame thickness as that of the disk and fastened to the lower part of thedisk by the h nged connection consisting of the headed pin (9) and theslot (10). Arranged on the opposite side of the slot (3) is a secondheaded pin (ll) which is adapted to cooperate with the keyhole slot (12)in the hinged section (8) so that the said section may be locked acrossthe slot (3) and with its upper edge positioned below the projectingpart of the block (a) for confining the same in the axis of the disk.The sliding connection of both pins (10) and (11) in their respectiveslots will enable the section to be slightly moved to where the head ofthe pin (11) may be passed through the enlarged part of the slot (12)and thus permit the section to be dropped away from the slot (3) asshown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. A finger grip (13) is provided forconveniently manipulating the section.

In practice it inay be permissible to leave the block (4) upon thehawser when the device is not in use. The device may be easily appliedwhen needed.

It should be also noted that the added weight of the section (8) willmaintain the device in proper position on the hawser for In Fig. l Ihave shown a modified form of block. in this construction I prefer toemploy a block which is divided so as to provide two halves (e and (aeach of which being dished out so as to produce the opening when thehalves are joined together by means of the screws or the like (5). Byusing a divided block instead of the solid one the hawser (2) need notbe passed through the opening, which in some instances would work at adisadvantage should ing an opening through which a ship hawser may bepassed, and a hinged section carried slot, an opening in said blockthrough which a Ship s haWser may be passed, means adjacent the axis ofthe disk adapted to engage the blockand' the hawser passing therethroughfor preventing creeping of the disk on the hawser, and a hinged sectioncarried by the disk adapted to be fastened across said radial slot forconfining the block in said radial slotconcentric oft'he disk.

4%. A device of the class described, including a barrier, a radial slottherein, a divided bl'ockadapted' to be inserted in said slot and havingan opening made to receive a ships haWser, and means for confining theblock in said slot.

5. in rat shield including a disk shaped barrier having a radial slotterminating concentric of the disk, a divided block having slots in itsvertical sides adapted to be inserted in said radial slot with the saidslots in the block made to receive the edges of the radial slot, anopening in said block made to receive a ships hawser, means adjacent theaXis of the disk adapted to engage the block and the hawser passingtherethrough for preventing creeping of the disk on the hawser, and ahinged section carried by the disk adapted to be fastened across saidradial slot for confining the block in said.

radial slot concentric of the disk, said divided block being made intwosections with means for joining the component parts of the sections toprovide "the composite structure.

ADOLPH GUSTAV GIR'ARD;

